March 28, 2013 | Posted by David Bohnett, LA Phil Chairman in New York

Here's the view as we're leaving Lincoln Center after our final concert of the 2013 Tour!

Congratulations to our amazing musicians and our beloved Music Director, Gustavo Dudamel. Very enthusiastic audience and critical acclaim in London, Lucerne, Paris, and New York. We can all be so proud of the LA Phil!

Back on familiar shores and mere hours away from the East Coast premiere of John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the LA Phil's 2013 Tour is winding down. Sure, there's tonight's performance - not to mention tomorrow's - but the tour has entered its endgame.

After seven concerts, it's pretty clear that folks in Europe are pretty fond of Gustavo Dudamel. Whether it's the Discover Dudamel rehearsal at the Barbican Centre in London; a photo op for dozens of young musicians in front of the KKL in Lucerne; or the enthusiastic responses to the LA Phil performances at the Salle Pleyel in Paris (and the other two places, frankly), the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Maybe it's the passion that Gustavo clearly has for the music being reflected back to him by appreciative audiences. Maybe it's the daring repertoire of 20th and 21st century works he and the orchestras bring to European halls. Maybe it's everything - whatever it is, audiences have been pretty receptive to Gustavo and to the LA Phil.

And for that, we thank those in Europe that have come out to see the LA Phil perform. Such appreciation makes touring overseas totally worth it.

The sound of packed houses in London, Lucerne, and Paris clapping relentlessly in rhythm this past week will surely resound in our ears for a long time to come. What a joy it has been to present these 2 very different programs to our European audiences, and have them received with so much palpable excitement and appreciation!

Sometimes in one's travels on tour, however, it's also the everyday experiences that can be just as memorable. I'll share just a couple of my favorite off-stage moments from the European leg of this tour:

Planning to live out of a suitcase for a three-week European tour isn’t easy, and there are a few items that I can’t live without in my garment bag––a sport coat, comfortable jeans, and a pair of warm leather gloves. But the most critical item for me is a dependable pair of running shoes.

Considering the type of haute cuisine available in a city like Paris, you would think that my main motivation for jogging is to justify the butter, Bordeaux and Foie gras. While that’s partially true, my main interest is to get out and explore the city up close and in detail –– something you just can’t do from the back seat of a cab or tour bus.

Countertenor Brian Cummings (third from right) and the rest of the cast of The Gospel According to the Other Mary, along with Gustavo Dudamel, director Peter Sellars and composer John Adams, take their bows in Paris after the piece's premiere in the City of Lights.

My love affair with the city of Paris began in 2001 when I participated in the world premiere of John Adams' oratorio El Niño. Barely 21 years old, I was astounded by the beauty of the city and the richness of French culture.

Barry Gold, LA Phil cellist, stands in front of the Arc de Triomphe in a city he knows well thanks in part to his tenure with the orchestra.

An American in Paris is, of course, an iconic and oh-so-familiar composition by Gershwin. But this magnificent city of lights and romance is currently being seduced by the magnificent musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the LA Master Chorale in what surely will be a overpowering performance of John Adams' new masterpiece: The Gospel According to the Other Mary.